Driving Face

Last night after dinner I took a taxi home and was surprised to find I had flagged down a hybrid one.

It was nice and roomy inside, had a GPS screen to show us where we were going and overall was quiet and smooth.

There are 50 of these such vehicles by domestic car maker Chery on the streets of Beijing.

I asked the driver what he thought of the car.

"Hai xing," he replied. Not bad.

I asked how much these cars were, but he explained these were only test vehicles used during the Olympics and Paralympics.

It was disappointing to hear this -- you'd think hybrid taxis would be a great idea for the city, consuming much less gas and hopefully influencing others to buy new technology cars.

This kind of short-term thinking is not what the Olympic legacy is about.

But obviously the powers that be are only thinking of their face than honestly what is best for Beijing and the country.